The Importance Of A Holistic Health Practitioner

According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (Kassandra, A., 2015), the issue of health disparities have impacted many people’s lives in the community where the minority groups do not have equal access to the quality health care. These

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors account for 50 percent of preventable death in the US. As the diversity of the US population increases, health care providers are expected to provide services that are reasonable and responsive to the unique cultural and ethnic identity, socio-economic condition, emotional and spiritual needs, and values of patients and the population. In this class, I have learned various diseases and conditions of all ages and ethnicities (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2017). Through case studies, I was able to apply broad, organizational, client-centered, and culturally appropriate concepts in the planning, delivery, management, and evaluation of evidence-based clinical prevention and population care and services to individuals, families, and aggregates/identified

Some of the issues regarding health disparities I have been exposed to living in middle class are, that many people are in need of health insurance, healthcare and employment. I made focus groups in one of the courses in my last semester and asked them questions about if discrimination exist in receiving quality of care? One of the African American participants gave a response: “The medical world reflects the real world.” Participants' also spoke about health care providers who make assumptions about their patients based on race or ethnicity. They also mentioned “As soon as they look at the patient and see if he is African American or Latino, they assume that he doesn't have insurance at all.’’ Some participants who were white, they did not have such experiences. I got to know both positive and negative aspects of that. They also felt that quality of health care services limited because of misperceptions and stereotypes, not the reality of who they are. One more instance, my friend experienced who is an African American-Black and suffering from diabetes and obesity. Due to her geographic location, she did not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables and therefore they tend to eat unhealthy food items. Many chronic and preventable diseases disproportionately affect ethnic

Everyone should have the opportunity to achieve a healthy life and have comprehensive health care services available to them. To achieve this healthy life, people need to have access to the health care system and to a health care provider with whom they can develop a trusting relationship. However, existing barriers to attaining health care services often lead to disparities which in turn lead to differences in life expectancy, health status and a higher prevalence of certain chronic diseases (HealthyPeople.gov, 2012).

Healthy People 2020 discusses a number of special population’s that have barriers to care including; race, age sex, sexual identity, age, disability, socioeconomic, and location; this post will discuss race (ethnic) group.  There are a number of races mentioned in healthy people 2020, such as, Asian, American Indian, Alaskan, Latino and African American (Healthy People 2020, n.d.). Access to health care in an ethnic group is multifaceted from the lack of trust, lack of health care education, discrimination and cost of care including health insurance. According to Howard, Peace, & Howard (2014), African Americans have a greater risk of three preventable diseases, hypertension, renal failure and bacterial infections stating; “no other disease

In today’s society, there are many different factors that can contribute to one’s overall health and well-being. Since there are so many different factors that can affect one’s health, there are inequalities that exist among people and this is knows as health disparity. "Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States” (Nhlbi.nih.gov, 2015). Health disparities can be associated with factors such as: socioeconomic status, education, gender, race, ethnicity, age, mental health, and religion. There are certain health problems that can affect different groups more than others, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS (Surgeongeneral.gov, 2015). One example of a specific population in the United States that is affected by health disparities is the African American Population. While African Americans are affected by various health disparities, one that affects this population more prominently is heart disease.

An underserved are a population group that experiences significant health disparities. Health disparities are differences in health status when compared to the general population, often characterized by indicators such as higher incidence of disease and disability, increased mortality rates, lower life expectancies, and higher rates of pain and suffering. Rural risk factors for health disparities include geographic isolation, lower socio-economic status, higher rates of health risk behaviors, and limited job opportunities. Higher rates of chronic illness and poor overall health are found in rural communities when compared to urban populations.

Underserved communities are often unaware of the medical process and stress that follows a diagnosis. The medical terminology and understanding the statistics of each approach to treat the health complication can be difficult to understand, especially after the initial shock of discovering life changing news. Health care providers serving these communities must be sensitive, patient and insightful of the many disparities theses patients’ are and will encounter as the medical team moves forward with treatment. Providing care to underserved communities goes beyond the medical practice, it’s having a raw understanding of the many layers of disparities a patient will undergo on a daily basis while being treated for their illness and meanwhile hoping to receive the best medical care possible.

Within the United States some populations groups face greater challenges then the general public with being able to access needed health care services in a timely fashion. These populations are at a greater risk for poor physical, psychological, and social health. The correct term would be underserved populations or medically disadvantaged. They are at a disadvantaged for many reason such as socioeconomic status, health, and geographic conditions. Within these groups are the racial and ethnic minorities, uninsured children, women, rural area residents, mentally ill, chronic illness and the disabled. These groups experience greater barriers in access to care, financing of care, and cultural acceptance. Addressing these

One issue with underserved populations is an increase in health disparities, not only race and ethnicity, but also gender and age. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (2014) list a number of key findings from a report on underserved populations and health care. Mortality rates from certain diseases and different types of death were higher in different racial groups than Caucasians (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Morbidity of asthma, oral disease, tuberculosis, obesity, and diabetes were also higher in minority groups (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Preventive screening for the over-50 population was just over 60%

Donald Barr’s text Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Health examines the various factors that can contribute to unequal health outcomes. He starts by defining health and disparities for us, making the reader understand that being healthy is not merely just lacking illness. Health is a multidimensional concept involving absence of disease as well as social role functioning and psychological health. This is crucial to understand, especially when studying healthcare organizations and their impacts as it removes the individual from solely focusing on traditional medicine. When I say “traditional”, I mean treating physical ailments such as the flu. By having an understanding that in order to achieve health one must fulfill multiple dimensions, the importance of alternative sources of medicine, such as chiropractic care, psychiatry, and holistic approaches are shown. Also gained

The underserved population is medically underserved and high needs population in the Grady Health System community. The term "underserved population" refers to a population of individuals, including urban minorities, that historically disintegrates due to a high incidence of income below the poverty line. Grady Health System (GHS) is one of the larger healthcare systems in the United States. GHS addresses the healthcare needs of the community locally, regionally and statewide through multiple efforts.

1. A.) Living in an underserved area has it unfortunate circumstances. According to Stiehl there are six factors associate with being “underserved”. First, Stiehl talks about an unsafe environment.

These vulnerable populations according to Shi and Stevens (2005) experience disparities in access to care and have poorer health status than the population as a whole.

Changes in access to health care across different populations are the chief reason for current disparities in health care provision. These changes occur for several reasons, and some of the main factors that contribute to the problem in the United States are: Lack of health insurance – Several racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and other minority groups lack adequate health insurance coverage in comparison with people who can afford healthcare insurance. The majority of these individuals are likely to put off health care or go without the necessary healthcare and medication that is needed. Lack of financial resources – Lack of accessibility to funding is a barrier to health care for a lot of people living in the United States